METHODS: A systematic search of relevant cohort studies from three electronic databases to identify all relevant studies published up to 7 November 2022. The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses.
RESULTS: A total of 54 articles with 355 787 matched pairs of parturient women and neonates from 30 countries were included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of GBS colonisation was 17.1% among the pregnant women and 1.0% among neonates. The pooled prevalence of vertical transmission of GBS was 4.5% and the pooled relative risk of GBS colonisation of neonates born to mothers with GBS was 9.9.
CONCLUSION: We support the implementation of targeted intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis for all women who are positive for GBS as well as women with risks factors for early onset GBS in their infants regardless of their GBS colonisation status.
METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1280 healthcare providers aged 18 years and older from 30 primary care clinics in Selangor, Malaysia. In this study, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used to assess burnout. The results were analyzed using multiple logistic regression.
RESULTS: The prevalence of personal burnout was 41.7%, followed by work-related burnout (32.2%) and client-related burnout (14.5%). The determinants for personal burnout in this study were younger age, being a doctor, higher COVID-19 exposure risk, do not know where to seek help, inability to handle stress, poorer sleep quality score, higher total COVID-19 fear score, higher total stress score, and lower total BRS score. The determinants of work-related burnout were younger age, being a doctor, longer years of working, higher COVID-19 exposure risk, do not know where to seek help, lower altruistic score, poorer sleep quality score, higher total stress score, and lower total brief resilience score (BRS) score. The determinants of client-related burnout were doctor, single/divorced, more than one attachment site, and higher satisfaction toward the infection control, inability to handle stress, higher total depression score, and lower total BRS score.
CONCLUSION: Every fourth out of ten suffered from personal burnout, one-third from work-related burnout, and one-seventh from client-related burnout among healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare systems must take care of healthcare workers' physical and emotional depletion, reducing the risk of burnout.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a systematic random sampling method in hypertensive patients who attended two government primary care clinics in Sarawak. The STOP-Bang questionnaire was used to screen for OSA, and social-demographic data was captured with a questionnaire. Multiple logistic regressions were used to examine the determinants of the OSA.
RESULTS: A total of 410 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age of study population patients was 56.4 years, with more than half being female. The mean blood pressure was 136/82. The prevalence of probable OSA among patients with hypertension was 54.4%. According to multiple logistic regression analyses, smoking (odds ratio [OR] 14.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.335-61.947), retirees (OR 3.20, 95% CI 1.675-6.113), and being Chinese (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.262-3.863) had a significant positive association with probable OSA.
CONCLUSIONS: Because of the high prevalence of probable OSA among patients with hypertension, primary care physicians should be more vigilant in identifying hypertensive patients with OSA risk. Early detection and intervention would reduce disease complications and healthcare costs.
METHODS: The probiotic characteristics of Ld45E were evaluated by examining its morphology, pH tolerance, adhesive ability onto HeLa cells, hemolytic activity, antibiotic susceptibility, and autoaggregation ability. Then, the antimicrobial activity of Ld45E was determined using Ld45E culture, cell-free supernatant, and crude bacteriocin solution. Co-aggregation and competition ability assays against various pathogens were conducted. The immunoregulatory effects of Ld45E were analyzed by measuring the proinflammatory cytokine IL-17. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistical significance.
RESULTS: Ld45E is 3-5 mm in diameter and round with a flat-shaped colony. pH 4 and 4.5 were the most favorable range for Ld45E growth within 12 h of incubation. Ld45E showed a strong adhesion ability onto HeLa cells (86%) and negative hemolytic activities. Ld45E was also sensitive to ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, ciprofloxacin, and doxycycline. We found that it had a good autoaggregation ability of 80%. Regarding antagonistic properties, Ld45E culture showed strong antimicrobial activity against GBS, E. coli, and Klebsiella spp. but only a moderate effect on C. parapsilosis. Cell-free supernatant of Ld45E exerted the most potent inhibitory effects at 40 °C against all genital pathogens, whereas bacteriocin showed a robust inhibition at 37 °C and 40 °C. The highest co-aggregation affinity was observed with GBS (81%) and E. coli (40%). Competition ability against the adhesion of GBS (80%), E. coli (76%), Klebsiella (72%), and C. parapsilosis (58%) was found. Ld45E was able to reduce the induction of the proinflammatory protein IL-17.
CONCLUSIONS: Ld45E possessed antimicrobial and immunoregulatory properties, with better cell-on-cell activity than supernatant activity. Thus, Ld45E is a potential probiotic candidate for adjunct therapy to address vaginal infections.
METHODS: This three-phase study was conducted among Malaysian population. Phase 1 involved forward and backward translations of the Scale to Malay language by four professional bilingual translators. In Phase 2, the new M-COVID-19-BS instrument was piloted on 30 participants who suggested minor lexical modifications. Phase 3 consisted of online recruiting of Malaysian citizens to answer a composite questionnaire comprising the M-COVID-19-BS, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF), and Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Data were statistically analyzed.
RESULTS: The composite four-part questionnaire in Malay was answered by N = 225 Malaysian citizens. The M-COVID-19-BS instrument demonstrated a good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.926) and had a unidimensional factor structure. M-COVID-19-BS scores positively correlated with the three CBI subscales, showing evidence of convergent validity. Negative correlation was reported between M-COVID-19-BS and WHOQOL-BREF, achieving discriminant validity. M-COVID-19-BS also exhibited moderate positive correlations with the FCV-19S, thus supporting its concurrent validity.
CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate that M-COVID-19-BS is a valid and reliable instrument to assess burnout symptoms related to COVID-19 among Malay-speaking populations either collectively or as a self-care tool to detect burnout symptoms without needing to further burden the already overwhelmed Malaysian healthcare system.
METHOD: This online-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1280 healthcare providers aged ≥18 years from 30 primary care clinics in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale was used to assess the level of fear, and the results were analysed using multiple linear regression.
RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 36 years, and the mean working experience was 11 years. The majority of the respondents were women (82.4%) and Malays (82.3%). The factors that were significantly correlated with higher levels of fear were underlying chronic disease (ß=1.12, P=0.002, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.08, 3.15), concern about mortality from COVID-19 (ß=3.3, P<0.001, 95% CI=0.19, 7.22), higher risk of exposure (ß=0.8, P<0.001, 95% CI=0.14, 5.91), concern for self at work (ß=2.8, P=0.002, 95% CI=0.08, 3.10) and work as a nurse (ß=3.6, P<0.001, 95% CI=0.30, 7.52), medical laboratory worker (ß=3.0, P<0.001, 95% CI=0.12, 4.27) and healthcare assistant (ß=3.9, P<0.001, 95% CI=0.17, 5.73). The level of fear was inversely correlated with a higher work-related stress management score (ß=-0.9, P<0.001, 95% CI=-0.14, -5.07) and a higher sleep quality score (ß=-1.8, P<0.001, 95% CI=-0.28, -10.41).
CONCLUSION: Family physicians should be vigilant and identify healthcare providers at risk of developing COVID-19-related fear to initiate early mental health intervention.
METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the systematic sampling method in four government primary healthcare clinics in Sarawak. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain socio-demographic data and evaluate non-adherence. Blood pressure was measured, and relevant clinical variables were collected from medical records. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the determinants of medication non-adherence.
RESULTS: A total of 488 patients with uncontrolled hypertension were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of medication non-adherence was 39.3%. There were four predictors of medication non-adherence among the patients with uncontrolled hypertension: tertiary educational level (odds ratio [OR]=4.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.67-10.61, P=0.010), complementary alternative medication (0R=2.03, 95% CI=1.12-3.69, P=0.020), non-usage of calcium channel blockers (0R=1.57, 95% CI=1.02-2.41, P=0.039) and 1 mmHg increase in the systolic blood pressure (0R=1.03, 95% CI=1.00-1.05, P=0.006).
CONCLUSION: Because of the high prevalence of medication non-adherence among patients with uncontrolled hypertension, primary care physicians should be more vigilant in identifying those at risk of being non-adherent. Early intervention should be conducted to address non-adherence for blood pressure control.
METHODS: This qualitative study employed the hermeneutic phenomenological study design. Purposive sampling strategies were used to recruit Malaysians that had direct experiences with friends, family members and their community who were hesitating or refusing to accept the COVID-19 vaccines. A semi-structured interview guide was developed based on the expert knowledge of the investigators and existing literature on the topic. A series of focus group interviews (FGIs) was conducted online facilitated by a multidisciplinary team of experts. The group interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed.
RESULTS: Fifty-nine participants took part in seven FGIs. We found that "incongruence" was the overall thematic meaning that connected all the 3 main themes. These themes comprise firstly, the incongruence between the aims and implementation of the National Immunization Program which highlighted the gap between realities and needs on the ground. Secondly, the incongruence between Trust and Mistrust revealed a trust deficit in the government, COVID-19 news, and younger people's preference to follow the examples of local vaccination "heroes". Thirdly, the incongruence in communication showed the populace's mixed views regarding official media and local social media.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provided rich details on the complex picture of the COVID-19 immunization program in Malaysia and its impact on vaccine hesitancy and refusal. The inter-related and incongruent factors explained the operational difficulty and complexity of the NIP and the design of an effective health communication campaign. Identified gaps such as logistical implementation and communication strategies should be noted by policymakers in implementing mitigation plans.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: For women in the intervention arm (n = 130), they received one session of individualized health education at 36 gestational weeks, a booklet of diabetes prevention, five-session of postpartum booster educational program which were conducted including 1 session of dietary and exercise counseling by dietician and physiotherapist at 6 weeks postpartum. For women in the control group (n = 168), standard treatment whereby they had received group therapy on diet and physical activity modification by dietician and staff nurses during the antenatal period.
RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between groups for most of the variables examined except for educational level which the control group had a higher education than the intervention group. The women assigned to system-based intervention have a significant difference to GDM women who were assigned to the control group for LDL and HDL but not in anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, glucose index, total cholesterol, and triglyceride. In addition, it was found that the incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) 2 years after delivery was 20% in the intervention arm compared to 17% in the control arm.
CONCLUSION: The system-based intervention was not statistically superior to the control intervention as there is no difference in terms of incidence of T2DM between the intervention and control group. We, therefore, suggested that more intensive interventions are needed to prevent GDM from developing into T2DM.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Primary electronic databases comprising PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library, as well as ProQuest (Health and Medical), ProQuest (Psychology), and EBSCOHost (APA PsychARTICLES) were used to search for literature on patient-related factors in medication adherence, from inception till August 31, 2021.
RESULTS: 479 articles were identified and six articles meeting eligibility criteria were reviewed and remained in this systematic review. The present review found that despite different tools being used to measure ESRD's perception of medication's necessity and beliefs, there was a profound association between perception and beliefs with medication adherence behavior. There is a positive relationship between knowledge, belief, educational level, ethnicity, female, and medication adherence behavior. Mixed finding was reported between perception, age, and medication adherence behavior. However, there were no studies on patients' attitudes and medication adherence behavior as suggested in the WHO adherence model.
CONCLUSION: Only a limited number of patient-related factors were available for evaluation in the current systematic review. Additional research is needed to advance the understanding of medication adherence behavior affected by patient-related factors on the medication and illness. However, the findings must be taken with caution because of the limited studies included in this review.
METHOD: Through an online survey, we used Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) to measure the level of anxiety associated with the COVID-19 crisis and Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) to assess the coping responses adopted to handle stressful life events. Coping strategies were classified as adaptive and maladaptive, for which the aggregate sores were calculated. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the predictors of anxiety adjusted for potentially confounding variables. Results from 434 participants were available for analysis.
RESULTS: The mean score (SD) of the CAS was 1.1 (1.8). The mean scores of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies were 35.69 and 19.28, respectively. Multiple linear regression revealed that maladaptive coping [Adjusted B coefficient = 4.106, p-value < 0.001] and presence of comorbidities [Adjusted B coefficient = 1.376, p-value = 0.025] significantly predicted anxiety.
CONCLUSION: Maladaptive coping and presence of comorbidities were the predictors of coronavirus anxiety. The apparent lack of anxiety in relation to COVID-19 and movement restriction is reflective of the reported high level of satisfaction with the support and services provided during the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia. Adaptive coping strategies were adopted more frequently than maladaptive. Nevertheless, public education on positive coping strategies and anxiety management may be still be relevant to provide mental health support to address the needs of the general population.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among staffs and students of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). The survey consists of basic sociodemographic information, 22 items on knowledge on COVID-19, 3 items on perceived self-risk, 2 items on preparedness & perceived self-efficacy, 10 items on preventive (own) measures, 9 items assessing unwanted and desirable behaviors during the pandemic. Simple and multiple linear regression were performed to determine the factors associated with knowledge, preventive measures adopted, self-risk perception, preparedness & perceived self-efficacy, and behaviors.
RESULTS: A total of 434 responded to the survey of whom the majority (85.1%) had high scores for knowledge (mean score of 18.72 out of 22). A significant positive association was found between knowledge and older age (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 0.046 (0.022), p = 0.039), those from medical faculty (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 0.870 (0.420), p = 0.039) and residence in high-risk areas (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 0.831 (0.295), p = 0.005). Predictors for higher perception of COVID-19 risk included presence of COVID-19 cases among social contacts (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 0.751 (0.308), p = 0.015) and living with elderly (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 1.137 (0.296), p < 0.001), while that for perception of preparedness and self-efficacy were living with children (adjusted Beta coefficient (SE) = 0.440 (0.173), p = 0.011) and absence of positive cases among social contacts (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 0.418 (0.183), p = 0.023). Good preventive measures among the respondents were positively associated with knowledge (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 0.116 (0.025), p < 0.001), as well as with female gender (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 0.348 (0.142), p = 0.014). Unwanted behavior was significantly associated with male gender (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 0.664 (0.321), p = 0.039) and COVID-19 positive status (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 9.736 (3.297), p = 0.003). Knowledge of COVID-19 (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 0.069 (0.035), p = 0.048) and being married (adjusted B coefficient (SE) = 0.917 (0.462), p = 0.048) were the predictors of desirable behavior.
CONCLUSION: Overall, the UTAR community had demonstrated a good level of knowledge and preventive behaviors, albeit with some areas for improvement.